Electric stop motion for textile machines



March 15, 1949. I 5, J, T A 2,464,468

ELECTRIC s'ror MOTION FQR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed D ec. 24, 1947 v 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 I ArmPA/EY.

March 15, 1949. s. .1.- THOMAS 2,464,468

7 ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES I I I 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 24, 1947 I Sumo/v J. THaMAs, T

Arrow/.5 Y.

March 15, 1949. 5. J. THOMAS 2,464,468

ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Dec. 24, 1947 9 Sheets-Sheet 3- March 15; 1949. 5. J. THOMAS 2,464,463

- ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES I 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 24, 1947 3mm: SHELTON J. THo/wAs.--.

ArroR/VE Y.

March 15, 1949. 5, THOMAS 2,464,468

ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE .MACHINES Filed D90. 24, 1947 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 SHEL 101v J. THo/vms,

nrro mrY.

March 15, 1949.

Filed Dec. 24, 1947 S. J. THOMAS ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 ul'lll SHELTON J. THOMAS,

ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES s. J. THOMAS March 15, 1949.

9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Deb. 24, 1947 SHEA r0/v J. 77/0/1105,

awe/WM.

March 15,1949. s. J. THOMAS 2,464,468

7 ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed Dec. 24, 1947 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Syn raw J. THOMAS ATTORl/EY.

March 15, 1949. 5. J. THOMAS 2,464,468

ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES I Filed Dec. 24, 1947 9 Sheets-Sheet e SHELTON J. THomns,

grwwvtcyo ,47'TORNEY- Patented Mar. 15, 1949 ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Shelton J. Thomas, Robbins, N. C., assignor of one-half to Robbins Cloth Mills, Inc., Robbins, N. 0., a corporation of North Carolina Application December 24, 1947, Serial No. 793,639

Claims.

This invention relates to textile machines, having warp yarns, wherein is employed an electrically operated warp stop motion and relates more especially to a knitting machine operating on the conventional tricot knitting principle. The tricot knitting machine with which this invention is shown as being adapted to be associated is of a type such as is distributed by Aveco, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York. However, the invention is not restricted to this particular make of machine, but may be used on any tricot knitting machine as well as other types of textile machinery.

It isan object of this invention to provide a simple and positive means for automatically stopping a machine in the event of one or more warp yarns being severed or broken.

It is another object of this invention to provide means whereby upon the breakage of a strand of yarn, which is generally at the needles in a tricot knitting machine, an intermediate portion of the yarn will be forced by air against an adhesive roll and the yarn, which is being drawn from the warp beam, will be rolled up onto the adhesive roll as well as the loose end which extends beyond the roll and when l the machine has automatically stopped, following the breakage of the yarn, the rotation of the adhesive roll may be reversed manually to draw the free end of the broken yarn off the roll and to thus have a suflicient length of yarn to again thread the needles without having to piece the yarn.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a tricot knitting machine showing the pertinent parts of the machine with respect to this invention and also showing the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 in Figure 1 with parts omitted;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the upper portion of Figure 2 showing the parts in detail;

Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation showing my invention as observed from the rear of the machine and taken along the line 4-4 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view taken along the lin 55 in Figure 3 and showing that end of the machine on which the driving mechanism of the invention is installed which is the right-hand end of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the princiand is a view similar to Figure 3 with parts omitted;

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit associated with this invention;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale and taken along the line 8-8 in Figure 5 through one of the contact bars;

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional View on an enlarged scale and taken along the line 9% in Figure 5;

Figure 10 is a vertical sectional View taken along the line l0lll in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line HH in Figure 4;

Figure 12 is an isometric view of the head end of the machine and looking at the back of the right-hand end of Figure 1;

Figure 13 is an elevation of one end of the circuit closing means and being taken substantially along the line l3--l3 in Figure 3;

Figure 14 is a rear elevation showing a modified form of drive for the invention;

Figure 15 is an elevation looking from the righthand end of Figure 1 toward the left and showing the modified drive of the invention and is also looking from the right to left in Figure 14 and being taken along the line 15-4 5 in Figure 14;

Figure 16 is an isometric view of one of the leaf spring contact members;

Figure 1'7 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of the central left-hand portion of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral l0 indicates the base of a knitting machine mounted on a floor 9 which has disposed at each end thereof vertically disposed end frame members H and I2, and an intermediate support-. ing member or samson I4 is disposed in the middle of the base member Ill. Spanning the distance between the vertical end members H and it and being secured thereto is a channel girt member ll having horizontally disposed flanges 38 and I9 and a vertically disposed web portion 20. The head end H of the machine has an upwardly extending portion 25 in which is rotatably mounted one end of a shaft 26 which passes through and has fixed thereon a plurality of warp beams 23 having warp yarns 29. The shaft 26 is supported at the center of the machine by the upper end of the intermediate supporting member or samson M, and is supported at the foot end of the machine by an upwardly extending portion 30 of the foot end I2. The shaft 28 has a conventional braking means 32 mounted on the end thereof.

Another shaft 33 is rotatably mounted in the head end i l of the machine, at a lower level than the shaft 25 and also has fixedly secured thereon a plurality of warp beams 35 having warp ns 36 thereon. The shaft 33 is also supporte mediate its ends in the intermediate supporting member I4 and is rotatably supported at its foot end in the foot end 52 of the machine. Shaft is also equipped with a conventional braking means 38 mounted on the foot end thereof.

The upper warp beams 28 on each end of shaft 2'6 have a hub portion id with which this invention is adapted to be associated. The warp yarns 29 extend from the beams 23, as observed i. Figure 3, and downwardly and to the left where they are engaged by and pass beneath a rod 42. The guide rod 52 is fixedly secured in the vertical side members at each end thereof. The Warp yarn 29, after passing beneath the guide rod 42, extends forwardly and downwardly and passes over a tension rod M which is secured tension rod arms di'at its ends, which arms are oscillatabl mounted on a warp rocker shaft {it which is mounted at each end in the head and foot ends H and if of the machine.

The warp rocker shaft d (Figure 3) has se cured near the remote ends thereof spring arms 48 which are slidably penetrated by shafts 53 each having a compression spring 52 mounted therearound, the upper end of which engages an ad justing nut 53 having a lock nut 5 associated therewith and the adjusting nuts 53 as well as the lock nuts 54 are threadably mounted on the free ends of the shafts 55. The lower ends of the shafts 55 also slidably penetrate the spring arms 48 and are secured in brackets 55 which are secured on the vertical side members EI and I2.

As heretofore stated, the yarn 29 passes over the tension rod id and then extends downwardly to where it is threaded through a plurality of guides 50 (Figures 2 and 6) as well as needles 5i where the cloth '52 is knitted in a conventional manner and also connected to the needles iii are the ends of warp yarns 36.

The warp yarns 3 pass through similar thread guides 54 and pass upwardly over a tension rod 55 which is secured at each end in arm 55 fixedly secured to a warp rocker shaft '5? loosely mounted at each end in the vertical side frame members II and I2.

After the warp yarns 35 have passed upwardly from the thread guides 56% to the tension rod 55, they are in a horizontally disposed position and extend rearwardly of the machine and pass over a rod I8 which extends the full length of the machine and is secured at each end thereof in the head end II and the foot end 52.

Fixedly secured to the shaft 5! at the remote ends thereof and adjacent the vertical side members II and 52 are spring arms 59 having similar shafts H! to the shafts 56 which have heretofore been described, and the shafts lll slidably penetrate the spring arms 59 and each has a compression spring 52 therearound which engages the spring arm 59 at its lower end and at its upper end it is threadably engaged by an adjustment nut I3 which is secured by a lock nut Id. The lock nut I4 and adjustment nut I3 are threadably mounted on the upper end of the shafts It. The lower ends of the shaft-l5 are fixedly secured in brackets which are secured to the vertical side members II and I2.

The thread guides 50 and 5 3, heretofore described, are secured in conventional guide rocker brackets 15 (Figure 6) which are secured to a guide rocker shaft ill? which is caused to oscillate by conventional means, not shown.

The needles til are secured to a needle bar 85 which secured to needle bar brackets 57 fixedly secured on a conventional needle shaft 88 which is also caused to oscillate by conventional means not shown. The shaft 85 is oscillatably mounted in brackets 532 which are secured to the vertical leg 2d of the channel girt member ll. The needle shaft 83 is oscillatably mounted in bearings not shown, in the vertical side members II and I2 at each end of the machine.

Mounted adjacent the head end II and resting on a motor housing W8 is a, conventional pattern gear box Hi5 (Figure 12) having conventional pattern wheels I55 secured to a shaft I01 extending from the gear box m5, and the conventional motor housing I58 has mounted therein and secured to the floor 5 upon which the knitting machine rests, an electric motor IIi] (Figure 12). The rear vertical surface-of the motor housing 598 has mounted thereon a transformer II2 and a relay box M3, the use of which Will be later described. The front vertical surface of the motor housing I58 has mounted thereon electric push button switch boxes H5 and N6, the use of which will also be later described. The parts heretofore described are conventional parts of a tricot knitting machine and it is with these parts that this invention is adapted to be associated.

Secured to the floor 9 and mounted adjacent the intermediate support member I4 is an electric blower I2!) having wires HI and I22 leading therefrom to be later described. The blower I blows air through a pipe I24 which extends upwardly from the blower 25 and is connected to a pipe T I25 which has branch pipes I26 leading therefrom. The branch pipes I25 extend outwardly to the head end I i and foot end I2 where they are turned upwardly as at I28. Smaller branch pipes 13f! are coupled to and extend upwardly from the pipe I28. The pipes I36 extend upwardly and are connected to horizontally disposed pipes I32 (Figure 3) which extend forwardly or to the left as viewed in Figure 3, and are connected to pipe Ts I33 having branch pipes I and I35 secured thereto.

The branch pipes I34 and I35 are connected to horizontally disposed pipes I39 and I40 which extend toward the center of the machine and are capped as at 21 12 on the proximate ends thereof.

The longitudinal pipes I39 and I4!) have a plurality of holes I53 disposed on the lowermost point in the periphery of the same, through which the air from the blower I25 escapes and to thus blow against the warp yarns 29 and 35.

Secured on the end of each of the hubs 49 of one of the warp beams 28 by any suitable means such as screws l5t is a V-pulley I5l which supports a V-belt I52 (Figures 1,- 2, 3, 4 and 5).. The V-belt 52 passes downwardly around a pulley (Figure 11) having a hubportion I55 which is secured on a shaft I by a'set screw I56.-

The shaft 56 is rotatably mounted in the head end ll of the machine as well as a bearing block ml which secured to the head end of the machine by suitable meanssueh as screws I52, and is confined against longitudinal movement by the hub I of the pulley I54 and a. collar (Figure 11).

The V-pulley I54 also has integral therewith a clutch face 555 (Figure 11) which engagesa similar clutch face I66 integral with a V-pulley I10 having a hub portion I1I integral therewith which is grooved as at I12 and the groove I12 is engaged by a forked end I14 of a yoke member I13 to be later described. The V-pulley I10 is rotatably and slidably mounted on the shaft Hill and is engaged by a V-belt I15 which extends forwardly and engages a V-pulley I11 secured on a shaft I18. The shaft I18 is rotatably mounted in a bearing block I80 which is secured by any suitable means such as bolts l8I to the horizontally disposed flange I8 of the girt member I1 (Figure The shaft I18 extends from a tubular shaft I85 which is mounted at its other end on a shaft similar to the shaft I18 which is also rotatably mounted in a bearing, not shown, similar to the bearing I80 and secured in a like manner.

The tubular shaft I85 has an adhesive coating I86 applied thereto which will remain adhesive for a considerable length of time and this coating I86 may be such as is manufactured by Paisley Products, Inc., 1770 Canal Port Avenue, Chicago 16, Illinois, and is known as their No. 919 Paisley Adhesive.

Integral with the V-pulley I11 which is secured on the shaft I18, is a larger V-pulley ISII (Figures 3, 4 and 5) which is engaged by a V-belt ISI which extends forwardly or to the left as viewed in Figures 3 and 5 and engages a similar V-pulley I92 which has integral therewith a smaller V- pulley I95 and is secured to a shaft I95 which is rotatably mounted in the head end II of the machine. The other end of the shaft I96 is integral with and extends into a tubular shaft 2% which is identical to the tubular shaft I85 and has the same type of adhesive material I36 applied thereto.

The tubular shaft 200 has secured in its other end a shaft not shown, similar to the shaft I96 and this shaft is rotatably mounted in the foot end I2 of the machine in the same manner as the shaft I96.

A V-belt 2M engages the V-pulley I95 and extends upwardly and passes over a V-pulley 2255 which is fixedly secured on a shipper shaft 206. The shipper shaft 206 is rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 261 at each end of the machine which extends downwardly and are secured to the vertical side members II and I2. The yoke member I13 is oscillatably supported intermediate its ends in the slotted end of a transverse horizontally disposed shaft 2IIl which penetrates and is secured to the head end of the machine by lock nut-s 2I3. The shaft 2! and the yoke H3 are slidably penetrated by a bolt M I.

The free end of the yoke member I13 is slotted as at 2I5 and is penetrated by a bolt 2I6 which also penetrates the end of a control lever 2I1 which is curved upwardly and toward the vertically disposed head member I I and is pivotally mounted on the head member II as at 22c. The control lever 2I1 then extends toward the front end of the machine and is curved downwardly at its front end and has a handle portion 22I integral therewith (Figure 3).

Since the pulley I is rotatably mounted and also slidably mounted on the shaft I653, by moving the handle 22I in a counterclockwise direction, as observed in Figure 5, the control lever 2 I1 will move the yoke member I13 in a clockwise direction and the forked end I1 5, which is engaging the slot I12 of the pulley I10, will move in a clockwise direction and will move the pulley I10 so that the clutch portion I66 will be moved outof engagement with the clutch portion I65 of the pulley I54. By moving the handle 22I the opposite direction, the clutch portion I66 on the pulley I10 will again engage the clutch portion I65 of the pulley I54.

Whenever one of the warp yarn-s 29 breaks or is severed, which is usually at the needles ISI, the blast of air from the pipe I39 will blow the loose end of the strand against the tubular shaft 2m) and the adhesive surface of the same will cause the parted yarn 29 to be wound about the tubular shaft 200 as it rotates. This will also draw the yarn 29 tighter than normal conditions require and it will cause that part of the yarn which is disposed between the shaft 42 and the tubular shaft 260 to be moved downwardly against a leaf spring member 235. (Figures 8, i3 and 16), a plurality of which are secured by any suitable means such as screws 23I to the vertically disposed surface of a horizontally disposed metal contact bar 232.

Each end of the leaf spring members 230 are cut on an angle as at 235 so that when the yarn strand 29 is brought into contact near the edges of two adjacent spring members 238, the yarn 29 will not pass between the two adjacent leaf spring members 236 whenever one or both of them are pressed downwardly. The contact bar 232 is also secured by the screws 23I to an insulation bar 233 having holes 236 near each end thereof which are penetrated by the free end of rods 238.

Although the upper ends of the rods 238 are threaded, it does not threadably penetrate the end of the insulation bar 233, but the threads do out into the walls of the hole 236 slightly when the insulation bar 233 is pressed downwardly onto the ends of the rods 238. The insulation bar 233 is supported on washers 240 which are bent downwardly as at 2 to contact the lower end of the horizontally disposed contact bar 232 which extends below the lower surface of the insulation bar 233. The washers Mil are supported on lock nuts 243 which are threadably secured near the upper end of the rods 238 and the insulation bar 233 may be adjusted vertically by these look nuts M3. The insulation bar supporting rods 238 extend downwardly and to the right as observed in Figures 2 and 3 and have a flattened portion 245 which are secured to the girt I1 by any suitable means such as screws 246.

When the free ends of one or more of the leaf spring members 23!! are urged downwardly by the yarn 29, they will contact a metal bar 248 which is secured by screws 249 to the front or left-hand side of the insulation bar 233 as observed in Figure 8. It will be noted that the bar 2&8 extends upwardly beyond the upper surface of the insulation bar 233 but does not quite reach the bottom surface of the bar 233 so that the electric current, which will be presently described, passing through the bar 248 will not be passed through the washer 240 and thus be grounded.

The end of the horizontally disposed bar 248, which is nearest the head end I I of the machine, has a wire 25!] secured thereto, by any suitable means such as a screw 25I, which leads from an electrical circuit to be presently described.

When any one of the yarns 36 breaks or is severed it will be wound about the tubular shaft I in a manner identical to that in which the yarns 29 are wound about the shaft 200 heretofore described.

When any one of the yarns 36, which may have become severed, is blown by the blast of air from the pipe Mil downwardly against the tubular shaft I85, the tautness of one'of the yarns fit, or that part of it which is disposed between the rods '48 and the tubular shaft Hi5, will be drawn downwardly against a leaf spring member 289 to close a circuit. These parts being identical to the leaf spring member 23d previously described as being contacted by the yarn 2%, will bear the same reference characters as well as the associated parts with the prime notation added.

The insulation bar 233' has holes identical to holes 238 vertically disposed in each end thereof and these holes are penetrated by vertically disposed shafts 252 having washers tit-t with downwardly turned front portions iii and which are supported by lock nuts 2413'. The vertically disposed shafts 262 are secured in the horizontal flange I8 of the girt member if by any suitable means such as lock nuts 26%, which are threadably secured on the lower ends of the shafts 232.

By referring to Figure 5, it may be observed that a horizontally disposed metal bar 2% secured to the insulation bar 233' extends beyond the end of the insulation bar and has a wire 259' leading therefrom and which is secured thereto by any suitable means such as a screw 25 l By referring to Figure 7 there may observed a wiring diagram which, for purposes of clearness, shows only the pertinent parts, and these schematically.

Leading from a suitable source of electrical energy 276 are wires 2752 and Z'ii which extend to one side of a switch 273 which is disposed within the housing or relay box H3 as observed in Figure 12. When the switch 213 is closed, it 1 will complete a circuit through the wires 214% and 215. The wire 2% leads to one side of an electric motor 2'l'i which is the main driving motor of the entire knitting machine. From the other side of the electric motor 2'5? there is a wire 2% which leads to one side of a relay switch 28! which is disposed within the relay box H3 heretofore described. The switch 28! is urged to closed position by a compression spring 282 and when the switch Bill is closed it contacts and completes a circuit through a wire leading to one side of a primary coil and which has a wire 215 leading from the other side thereof. The coil 285 is a part of the transformer i it.

The transformer H2 which in this instance is an air core transformer, has a secondary coil Elli which is generally of approximately 12 volts, which has a wire 28% leading from the lower end thereof which is grounded as at Leading from the top side of the secondary coil 128i is a wire 292 which leads to one side of a conventional relay magnet 293 having another wire 2% leading therefrom to a switch The switch 2% is disposed within the switch box I it and has a wire 308 leading therefrom which leads to a contact point Sill. and the wires 25% and lead therefrom to the metal contact bars 2% and 2% respectively.

When any one of the leaf spring members 2323 or 230 heretofore described are urged downwardly against the metallic bars M8 and 238, a circuit is completed throug the leaf spring members 2353 or 230, the washer or 2: 3 and then through the rods 238 or 252 to the girt H where it is grounded.

The blast of air which is emitted from the pipe I39 and pipe Hill is from the blower motor iZfi which has the wires 125 and 522 leading therefrom. The wire I22 leads to the wire 212 which leads from the source of electrical energy 210 and the wire I2I leads to a switch Std which is within the switch box I It as observed in Figure 12. When the switch 353% is closed, the current will pass through the wire iii in the switch box H5 to the switch 3% andthrough a wire tilt to the wire 2?? and when the switch Eli; is closed the current will continue through one side of the switch 273 and through the wire Zi'i and thus complete the circuit to the source of energy Eli].

By referring to Figures 14 and 15, there may be observed a modified means of driving the shaft I60 so that in the event that the tension on the yarns 29 may be too great as a result of the shaft its being driven by the warp beam 28 in the manner heretofore described, the V-pulley 55% on the shaft Itll may be omitted or at least the V-belt I52 leading therefrom as well as the V-pulley IEI may be omitted and the V-puiley i5 5 may be replaced, if so desired, by a clutch member 329 or the same V-puiley 35% may be used, but omitting the V-belt i522. The clutch member 328 will, of course, be engaged by the clutch portion I66 of the V-pulley lid and the l -pulley H 3 will be employed in the same manner which has been previously described.

In this instance, it is necessary that the shaft I60 extend outwardly beyond the vertical side frame member 5 l substantially enough to receive a V-pulley 322 to be secured thereon and a V-belt 323 is mounted on the pulley 322 at its upper end and extends downwardly to a V-pulley 324 which is fixedly secured on a drive shaft 325 which is a conventional part of the machine and is mounted in the head end of the machine and extends into the machine.

The shaft 325 is driven by a conventional pulley 326 which is secured on the shaft 325, and the pulley 326 is engaged by a belt which extends downwardly to a conventional pulley 328 which is secured on a shaft leading from the motor 211 heretofore described.

Method of operation When the master switch 273 is closed the yarns 29 and 36 are normall drawn through the thread guides 69 and 64, through the needles 6i and thus knit into the cloth 62. The upper warp beam 2% is turned by the warp yarns 29 which are being drawn off the warp beam 28 and the pulley till, which is secured to the end of the hub portion "it! of the warp beam 28, transmits the power downwardly through the V-belt I52 to the pulley iii i. The clutch consisting of the portions 165 of the v pulley 55% and IE6 of the V-pulley I'll"! is engaged by moving the handle 22I of the lever 2H and this movement is in a clockwise direction in Figure 5, and the yoke member Hi3 will move the pulley ill) and the clutch portion 5% to engage the clutch portion I65. Thus rotation will be transmitted from the pulley I54 to the pulley iill having the V-belt I'I5 thereon which transmits rotation to the pulley I'll on the shaft H8. The pulley I'll transmits rotation to the pulley tilt having the V-belt I9I thereon which transmits rotation to the pulley 192 on the shaft H3 5 and having the pulley I55 integral therewith. Thus the tubular shafts I35 and. 2% being integral with the shafts I78 and I 96 respectively are rotated.

It has already been described how the warp yarns 29 and 35, when one or more of them become broken, engage and depress the leaf spring members 230 or 236' and will thus complete a circuit through the metallic bars 248 or 2 58 through wires 250 or 250' and to thus complete a circuit in cooperation with the wiring diagram which has heretofore been described.

The current will pass from the Wires 253 or 253'- through the wire 388 and through the switch 296 which will then be closed, and then into the relay box H3 where it will energize the magnet 293 by having the current continue through the wire 292 which receives current from the coil 281 having the wire 288 leading therefrom to a ground 290.

At the same time the switch 213 is closed and the current passes from the source of electrical energy 210 through the wire 21I and then through the wire 215 and through the primary coil 285, through the wire 283 and to the switch 28!. The switch 28I is normally closed as heretofore stated, by the spring 282 and the current, will of course continue throgh the wire 28!] to the motor 211 and through the motor 211 to the wire 214 and through switch 213, wire 213 and thus to the source of electrical energy 218. When the magnet is energized as heretofore stated, the switch 28I will be drawn open and thus the circuit to the motor 211 will be broken and this will stop the machine.

When the machine stops due to the breakage of any one of the yarns 29 or 35, since the switch boxes II and H5 are conveniently placed near the head end of the machine, the operator may open or close the master switch 213, which is Within the box I I5, and also may open or close the switches 293 and 304, which are within the switch box H6, to thus stop the fan motor from operating as well as stopping the current from passing through the bars 248 and 248. The object of stopping the current from passing through these bars 248 and 248' as well as stopping the blast of air from the pipes I39 and It!) is so that the yarns 29 and 36 may be handled without -1 being tossed about by the air from the pipes I39 and I48, and in the event that the operator should touch one of the bars 248 or 248' the operator will not receive an electrical shock from the same.

It will be noted that the controlling lever handle 22I is also conveniently close to the switch boxes H5 and H6 so that the operator may also disengage the clutch members I66 and I85, or in the modified form, the clutch members I85 and 328, at the same time the operator opens or closes the switches in the switch boxes I I 5 and I I6 if so desired.

As has heretofore been stated, when one of the yarns 29 or 36 breaks, the loose end is blown against the rotating tubular shafts 238 or I85 respectively by the blasts of air. The broken end 29 or 36 will then be wound around the tubular shaft 208 or I85 due to the adhesive surface I86 of these shafts and when the machine has stopped in the manner heretofore described, one of the tubular shafts 200 or l35 will have wound a portion of a yarn 28 or 36 therearound and the free end of the yarn will hang down from the shaft 200 or I85. When it is desired to again start the machine, the shaft 286' which is disposed in the bearings 201 secured to the vertical side members II and I2, may be rotated manually in a clockwise direction, as observed in Figure 3, and this rotation will transmit rotation to the V- pulley 205 which will transmit rotation to the V-pulley I85 by means of the V-belt 284 and this in turn will cause the tubular shafts I85 and 200 to be rotated due to the interconnecting V- belt I 94 and this will unwind the loose end of the yarn 29 or 36 as may be the case. As the yarn 29 or 36 in unwound, the operator grasps the free end of the same and passes it over the tension rod M or 85 and threads the same in a conventional manner through either one of the thread guides or 68. The switches 295, 304 and 212 are then closed and the machine is again operated in a conventional manner until another of the yarns 28 or 38 breaks and then the procedure is again followed as described above.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims. v

I claim:

1. In a warp knitting machine having a bank of knitting needles and having a plurality of warp rolls for supplying a sheet of warp threads to the knitting needles, a contact bar disposed adjacent the path of travel of the sheet of warp threads and having a plurality of side by side spring contacts normally held out of contact relation with the contact bar, a blower pipe disposed adjacent the sheet of warp threads and having openings therein for projecting jets of air against the sheet of warp to tend to force the sheet of warp toward the contact bar, a roller disposed on the other side of the sheet of warp threads remote from the blower pipe and said roller having a surface to which a warp thread is adapted to be secured when contacting the 5 same, means for driving the roller, an electrical circuit having one side connected to the contact bar and having the other side connected to the spring contacts associated with said contact bar, a means for forcing compressed air into said blower pipe, parting of a strand allowing the blower pipe to blow the parted strand against the said roller and to wind the strand around the roller to thereby cause the strand to engage and depress one of the spring contacts to cause it to engage the contact bar to thus close the electrical circuit to stop the motor for driving the roller and to stop the means for forcing compressed air into the blower pipe and to disconnect the electrical circuit passing through the contact bar and the depressed spring contact.

2. In a warp knitting machine having a plurality of needles and having a warp roll for supplying a sheet of warp threads to the knitting needles, a driven roller disposed on one side of the sheet of warp threads and a blower pipe disposed on the other side of the sheet of warp threads, a fixed contact bar disposed on the same side of the sheet of warp threads as the roller, said fixed contact bar having associated therewith a plurality of spring contacts disposed above the contact bar and normally not in contact with the contact bar, means for forcing compressed air through the blower pipe to cause jets of air to impinge upon the sheet of warp threads passing to the knitting needles, means for imparting rotation to the roller disposed adjacent the sheet of warp threads, said roller having a surface to which warp threads will become engaged when a warp thread parts and is blown against the periphery of the roller to thus wind the broken warp thread around the roller and to cause it to contact and depress one of the spring contacts to engage the fixed contact bar, and an electrical circuit connected at one side to the contact bar and at the other side to the spring contact bars,

sac ets 11 an electric motor for driving the roller, the winding of a parted warp thread around the roller serving to depress one of the spring contacts into engagement with the fixed contact bar to thus close the electric circuit, and means operabie by the closing of the electrical circuit for disconnecting the driving means for the means for creating a blast of air in the blower pipe and also for disconnecting the motor for driving the roller and also disconnecting the current to the fixed contact bar and to the spring contact bars to thus break the electrical circuit which is closed by a parted warp thread.

3. In a machine having a sheet of warp threads passing therethrough and a blower pipe disposed on one side of the sheet of warp threads and a roller having a surface for engaging a fallen warp thread disposed on the other side of the sheet of warp threads remote from the blower pipe, a plurality of switches disposed in overlapping relation on that side of the sheet of warp threads where the roller is located, means for forcing compressed air into the blower pipe, means for driving the roller, an electric circuit passing through the means for driving the roller, the

means for forcing compressed air into the biower pipe, and through the switches disposed adjacent the sheet of warp threads, parting of a strand the sheet of warp threads allowing the blower pipe to blow the parted strand against the roller to cause it to be wound around the roller and to thus bring it into engagement with one or the switches to close the same, an electrical circuit passing through the means for driving the roller, the means for forcing compressed air into the blower pipe and through the switches and means operable by closing of one of the switches by a parted warp strand wound around the roller for tie-energizing the means for driving the means for forcing compressed air into the blower pipe and de-energizing the means for driving the roller and de-energizing the switches disposed adjacent the sheet of warp threads.

4. In a machine having a sheet of warp passing therethrough, a roller having a surface adapted to engage and wind warp threads therearound, a blower pipe disposed on the other side of the warp threads remote from the roller and having nozzles for projecting streams of compressed air against the sheet of warp, a contact 50 2,438,365

bar disposed adjacent the roller and having a plurality of spring contacts normally out of contact with the contact bar, means for driving the machine, means for driving the roller, means for forcing compressed air into the blower pipe, and means operable by a warp thread having less than normal tension therein in engaging the roller on account of the jets of air normally blowing the same toward the roller to wind the Warp strand having sub-normal tension therein around the roller to cause it to contact one of the spring contacts to close an electrical circuit passing therethrough to thus stop the machine.

5. In a machine having a sheet of warp passing therethrough, a roller having a surface adapted to engage and wind warp threads therearound, a blower pipe disposed on the other side of the warp threads remote from the roller and having nozzles for projecting streams of compressed air against the sheet of warp, a contact bar disposed adjacent the roller and having a plurality of spring contacts normally out of contact with the contact bar, means for driving the machine, means for driving the roller, means for forcing compressed air into the blower pipe, and means operable by a warp threads having less than normal tension therein in engaging the roller on account of the jets of air normally blowing the same toward the roller to wind the warp strand having sub-normal tension therein around the roller to cause it to contact one of the spring contacts to close an electrical circuit passing therethrough to thus stop the machine, and to stop the blower means and to stop the rotation of the roller and means for disconnecting the electrical circuit to the spring contact members when one of the same is depressed into contact with the fixed contact bar.

SHELTON J. THOMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,366,105 Hayes et al. Dec. 26, 1944 2,375,324 Plunkett May 8, 1945 Hepp et al Mar. 23, 1948 

